When Todd Pait arrived in Clarksville last summer from the North Carolina coast, he was brought back to Tennessee with the idea of helping Chad Watson build the Northeast football program as Watson entered his first season as head coach last fall.

Pait then got a request from Dustin Smith, who had just resigned as Northeast's baseball coach.

"He told me he thought I should look into taking the baseball job too," Pait recalled. "And I like a challenge and I accepted that challenge."

With a 2-6 start to the baseball season, and having just lost to District 10 rival Clarksville High, 11-1, Monday night, Pait knows that the transition from Smith will take time.

"We're going to be alright," Pait said. "We're still rounding off the rough edges but there's a good team in this group. My job is to find it."

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Clarksville High's Ford Cooper (4) slides into second base as Northeast shortstop Gavin Cleghorn throws the ball to second baseman Kristian DeCosta during their District 10 game Monday.(Photo: George Robinson / The Leaf-Chronicle)

It wouldn't be a stretch to suggest that eyes were on the Eagles program, coming off last year's Region 5-AAA championship and sectional appearance. It was the swan song for Smith, who after 13 years as head coach of his alma mater, resigned to become an assistant baseball coach at Clarksville Academy.

After Smith's departure, several Eagles players either transferred or left the program. The most notable departure was one of the midstate's top outfielders in Christian Scott, who now plays at Rossview High and who just committed to play baseball at Tennessee.

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Northeast High's infield prepares for the start of the second inning during their District 10 game against Clarksville High Monday night at Northeast.(Photo: George Robinson / The Leaf-Chronicle)

"The expectations were high (for Northeast)," Pait said. "The team I took over at the beginning is not the same team now. The one's that transferred, that was their decision and we had some guys that decided not to play out of the blue."

Upperclassmen like Heath Williams, Kristian DeCosta and Trey Elkins will have to bridge the gap while the Eagles learn to trust and buy into Pait's plan.

Clarksville High shortstop Skyler Luna tries to snag a ground ball as a Northeast player looks to stop at second base during a District 10 baseball game Monday at Northeast High.
George Robinson / The Leaf-Chronicle

Clarksville High's Ford Cooper (4) slides into second base as Northeast shortstop Gavin Cleghorn throws the ball to second baseman Kristian DeCosta during their District 10 game Monday.
George Robinson / The Leaf-Chronicle

Pait arrived from West Bladen High School, along the coast of North Carolina, as the schools football coach and hitting coach for the baseball team. Although he is originally from Bladenboro, N.C., he graduated from Austin Peay and coached at Sycamore in Pleasant View and coached at Clarksville Academy.

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Northeast first baseman Heath Williams takes a hack at a Clarksville High pitch during their district baseball game Monday at Northeast High.(Photo: George Robinson / The Leaf-Chronicle)

He returned to Bladenboro in 2016 for one season to coach West Bladen's football program.

"There's great baseball here," Pait said of Tennessee. "But North Carolina is a real big baseball state and we had a lot of success (at West Bladen). And I had some big shoes to fill, replacing coach Smith here at Northeast. But he's still in the building (as a teacher) and we talk every day and he's given my great advice on these kids."

For the players, DeCosta understands that much of the early-season responsibility falls on his fellow upperclassmen.

"Every day, we show up for practice or games, our effort has to be there," DeCosta said. "We have pride in our program and we have to keep working at it. It may take us a while to get used to the changes, but we'll be fine."

Reach Prep writer George Robinson at georgerobinson@theleafchronicle.com or (931) 245-0747 and on Twitter @Cville_Sports.